Flow characteristics and aerodynamic forces acting on an elliptic cylinder placed in a plane boundary layer were investigated experimentally. Four cylinder models with axis ratio(major axis to minor axis, AR=A/B) of 1, 2, 3, and 4 having the same equivalent diameter were used in this experiment. The Reynolds number based on the equivalent diameter $D_e$(=20mm) was 13,000. In the case of circular cylinder, regular vortex shedding occurs for the cylinder gaps larger than G/B=0.3 and is not almost related to the boundary layer thickness. But, for the elliptic cylinders, the vortex shedding frequency is increased with increasing the gap ratio (G/B) and the axis ratio (AR) of elliptic cylinders. The maximum drag coefficient acting on a circular cylinder is mainly affected by the boundary layer thickness. But, the elliptic cylinders(AR$geq$2), except for the smaller gap G/B<0.2, show a nearly constant drag coefficient which is much smaller than that of a circular cylinder. The base pressure on the flat plate decreases with increasing the axis ratio(AR) of the elliptic cylinder. In the case of a circular cylinder, the base pressure has the minimum value at the gap ratio G/B=0.4, but it occurs at G/D=2 for elliptic cylinders. The mean velocity of the cylinder wake is quickly recovered at a small cylinder height ratio(H/$delta$), but the turbulent intensity is rapidly recovered at a large cylinder height ratio(H/$delta$). The effective wake region in the plane boundary layer is shrinkaged with increasing the axis ratio(AR) of elliptic cylinder. And the drag coefficient and streamwise turbulent intensity of the elliptic cylinder with AR=4 are less than half of those for the circular cylinder(AR=1).